Saturday, July 3, 2010

TNT's Big Day Arrives

This season TNT may have redefined the TV term "bells and whistles." At Daytona this Sunday the network will have the now famous Wide Open coverage, a revamped RaceBuddy online application and a two different streams of 3D programming available.

All of this will come to NASCAR fans at 6:30PM, after SPEED finishes the two hour NASCAR RaceDay show from the SPEED Stage at Daytona. Lindsay Czarniak will then take over as TNT's "infield rig" is once again the pre-race location.

Wide Open coverage allows TNT to run commercials in a second video box on the screen in return for adding some graphic elements to the race telecast that bring more exposure for the sponsors. Basically, fans get to see a lot more of the race instead of full-screen commercial breaks.

Kyle Petty and Larry McReynolds will join Czarniak on the pre-race show. TNT's pre-produced feature will be on the late Dale Earnhardt Sr. and has many special guests talking about his influence on the sport. Tony Stewart will be the live guest on the infield set this week.

Adam Alexander is wrapping up his first season with TNT. With only the Chicagoland event remaining for the network after Daytona, Alexander's first season seems to have flown by. He has worked hard to step into the play-by-play role and has been coming into his own in the last few races.

Wally Dallenbach Jr. being in the TV booth always sparks some discussion. The fact is that Dallenbach knows racing and although his NASCAR career was not stellar, he works well with Petty and TNT loves him. He is here to stay.

Petty has quickly become the star of the show and that is the kind of role that he enjoys. Outspoken on TNT, Petty will be returning to SPEED's RaceDay and Victory Lane programs once the summer six pack of races is done.

Some people just appear as if they are made for TV and Czarniak fits that mold perfectly. During the TNT package she has handled interviews in the garage area during practice sessions, hosted the pre-race show and handled multi-hour rain delays. Currently a Washington, DC local TV sports reporter, there is little doubt that Czarniak will be heading for a bigger challenge soon.

Along with NASCAR, TNT will also be offering two streams of live 3D coverage. DirecTV, NASCAR.com and many major cable providers will be carrying this programming at no additional charge. Viewers will need either a computer monitor or TV that can view 3D and of course, those funny glasses.

RaceBuddy is going to be up and running with its own pit reporter, multiple cameras and social media streams. This online application is going to be missed when ESPN takes over the coverage at the Brickyard. Jim Noble has done a great job as the lone pit reporter with pre-race and in-race interviews.

TNT has only one more race remaining from Chicagoland, but today is the focus of the entire NASCAR TV package for which TNT paid a very high price. TDP will be live blogging NASCAR RaceDay on SPEED and then the Cup race. Please join us.

In the meantime, please feel free to leave us your opinion on the TNT summer coverage. To add your comment, just click on the comments button below. This is a family-friendly website, please keep that in mind when posting. Thanks for taking the time to stop by.

11 comments:

I want to say thanks TNT for doing such a good job with the race broadcasts. I enjoy the wide open coverage for this race and although at different times I've been pretty annoyed with Kyle, he has done a good job in the booth and I've enjoyed it.

I can't believe TNT's run is about to come to a close for the season already! Seems like they were just getting things going at Pocono.

I wouldn't mind seeing them get a bigger piece of the pie with the next contract....maybe some sort of summer series....get the races of June, July and August.

I know that would involve the Brickyard, which was originally supposed to be the diamond of ESPN's part of the broadcast schedule, but since Disney has moved nearly all of the Chase races to ESPN, ESPN now has the Chase as their signature piece to the season.

As said, things are locked in for the current contract, but again, wouldn't mind seeing the season broken down like I mentioned before in the next contract.

I love this "Wide Open Coverage"!!! I've always been a fan of ABC's/VS. "Side by Side" but TNT has them beat. Pay attention Fox and ESPN. If you want to get your ratings up, you got to something like this. Please?